The Hawk of Egypt

's rum cattle t

ound that t

s just through a

n earth'll

R.

ughter of Squire Hethen

no, where the hair o

es are blue; which pe

some part of h

rlour-trick; she was slow in her movements and quiet in her manner until she talked of horses or anybody she loved; then her great eyes would flash and her laugh ring out,

tle chum, if only one out of every three men who met her had not been

ight and offered him cream chocolates as he eat at the foot of her bed, facing her. "Dads, what am I to do? G

he one to be pitied. This

ve got into-and I don't understand anything and I don't encourage them,

or put a brave face on, until---" sa

il w

comes along, darlin

like a fringe upon the white cheek over which very slo

imself, as he made gr

oke, d

ou, pet; I c

daughter looked round the white and somewhat austere

essays in French and in German, the History of Egypt in Ar

, Dads?" and the girl threw

brave, Golliwog, a

less. Do you think it would help if I let m

a lot if you shaved you

ward and ran his hand

colouring, she had, greatly daring, acquired a packet; had followed the directions by mixing the powder with water and covering her head with the muddy result, and, "to m

fter refused to allow it to grow to hairpin length, and to her father on

gh his heart was heavy at the thought of the blank which his Go

vel! Oh! dar

hy not France

ites and blues and oranges and camels. It's in me here," and she thumped her nightgown above her heart. "I shall

r to the head of the bed and too

d womanhood. "This terrible colouring of mine, for one thing. Why, amongst other girls, I am like a Raemaeker stuffed into a Heath Robinson folio, like a palette daubed with o

wog darling, I had a letter from Marraine yesterday, asking me to let you go out to her in Cairo for th

can't you and Mother come? An

e man bent to pat the head of the great dog which ha

smoking two last pipes, whilst a gli

e of many insects, "Big Ben Kelham?-and the estates run alongside. Wonder if Teresa has noticed an

ith her arms round the dog, who

There came a long, long pause, and then she added, as she turned towards a coloured pi

to be the jewel-hilted, double-e

Life, and having tangled and knotted together the crimson thread of passion, the golden thread of youth and the honest bro

e was ov

Devon. Against the warnings of her heart and to the delight of her friends and family, she had married the Duke of Longacres, whose roving eye had been arrested by

had held high her beautiful head and high her honour, filling her empty heart with the love of her son and the esteem of

had come the Boer War, and the heroic tragedy of Spion Kop, which left her childless; after that, many years of utter devotion, to her grandson, who adored her; then the Great

eech and understanding, and had been promoted through generation to

nd, to revive the faded roses of her cheeks with the aid of cosmetics. Things had gone from bad to worse in that respect, until her pretty snow-white hair had been covered by a flagrant golden perruque and the dear old face with a mask of pink and white enamel. Her eyes were blue, and keen as a hawk's, undimmed by the tears shed in secret during her tumultuous and tragic life; her

, of priceless lace at the elbow-sleeves and V-shaped neck; a plain straw poke-bonnet served for all outdoor functions,

te; those who really knew her, and they lived principally east of London town, would willingly have laid themselves down and allowed her ridiculously small f

which crowd Ben Kelham and Damaris Hethencourt were supreme favourites, and about whom

jewelled Louis XV snuff-box, and had a perfe

ld and very wise old woman, of whom the gr

queen, so that I migh

te placed the twisted threads of passion, youth and

which had followed the hunting accident had taken Ben Kelham to Heliopolis, and for recuperatio

of Squire Hethencourt, whom he looked upon as his greatest friend, and vice versa. Educated at Harrow, Ben Kelham and Hugh Carden A

t his mind to the accomplishment of a task, and although he had stood in absolute awe of beautiful Damaris since the day she had lengthened

en the case in hand, and proceeded to throw bucketsful of cold water upon h

ast a month. Let her get over that, let her realise that you are close at hand, but not the least bit anxious to be under her feet, and you'll see. Remember, she is very young, just like a bit of dough which must be stuffed wit

ys do blunder when I'

d into the cave by the hair; we may squeal a bit for the sake of appearances, but we cook the breakfast nest morning without a murmur! But jus